Consciousness Vs.Conscience. 

Recently I read an essay in The Economist titled:
What is consciousness? – The hard problem https://www.economist.com/schools-brief/2015/09/12/the-hard-problem: “The final brief in our series looks at the most profound scientific mystery of all: the one that defines what it means to be human.”
In this essay a figure shown illustrates a car and the driver. We use the same analogy in our Webinar titled: Spirituality in Practice. Please see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWjW7wGOeMw It could as well be a bicycle rider and the bicycle, Chariot and the rider (analogy from Upanishad), ……

In our talk we use the analogy and explain:
The entire Universe is like a two sided coin: Driver and the Driven.
The “Driver” for everything in the Universe is an infinite collection of laws of nature – known and unknown – which Vedic Philosophy defines with a common noun “Brahman“. Everything enabled by Laws of Nature,  represents (or remains as evidence of) Brahman (Sarvam Brahma Mayam).
“I’ – the human – is part of nature and enabled; Hence I am Brahman. (Aham Brahma).
When “I” – the human – is part of nature, but wish to treat myself as a special subset (thanks to my well developed Brain/mind), then I describe myself as enabled by a subset of the laws of nature (i.e.)  Consciousness (Prajnanam). Hence I am “Consciousness” and Consciousness is Brahman (Prajnanam Brahma).
In each of the above, the Sanskrit phrases quoted in parentheses are referred to as Grand Pronouncements (Maha Vakya) in the Upanishad, the philosophic treatises contained in Vedas.

Brahman / consciousness (Laws of Nature) merely exist. Hence “I” exists as evidence or witness to the laws of nature. “I” am, therefore “I think”.
The “Driven” or the cognitive is merely the evidence or effects of the laws of nature.
As a driven – enabled – I think, just as the river flows or birds fly, ….
“I think”, therefore “I am!” – attributed to French philosopher Des Cartes – just as
“I flow”, hence “I am the river” or
“I fly”, therefore “I am a bird”!

Viewed as Consciousness (laws of nature): “I am therefore, I think”.
Viewed as the evidence or effect of Consciousness (laws of nature)
“I think, therefore I am !”
We delve into the details of the above in our recently published book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BV49NPNQ

Yesterday I was clipping a few stems off a flowering bush in my garden. It was necessary to prune the bush to shape it and make it grow in an orderly manner. There were many activities involved in this simple situation: My seeing the bush, perception of a disorderly growth of the bush, desire to grow a well groomed bush, pruning the bush by clipping one stem at a time, etc. Everything was going well and “I” was in charge. In my mind “I” was like my hairdresser clipping and shaping my hair! The prevailing laws of nature (Brahman or Consciousness) were completely out of my mind. That was until, by accident the rear side of the clipper pinched my thumb. I felt the pain. I looked closely. There was a small blood clot. I could attend to it right away or ignore it. Through this series of events and a moment of reflection, I was more intense on Self-reflection, than before.
I was deliberately focussed on the laws of nature: 
The clipper under pressure will pinch and cut anything in its path, be it the stem of the plant or the flesh in my thumb!
When pinched there will be pain and a blood clot!
Pain and effect of the blood clot can be reduced by applying ice immediately or soon after. I have that choice. Is this my “free will”?

But, in everyone of the above, pertinent laws of nature (Brahman) are at work.
I would be aware of them – as many as possible – if I am genuinely Objective and under self-control, reflecting  on the laws of nature (Brahman). Is that state of mind my “Conscience”? Those are the moments when we reflect on our “Connectors” through which “I” the enabler gets connected with my physical presence (the enabled). These connectors, according to Vedic Philosophy are Knowledge, Bias and Ignorance and their interplay through Tranquility, Turbulence and Inertial. We describe such Conscience as “Connector – Science” in our recently published book.
For details.:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BV49NPNQ

“He is alive; see he is conscious” and “let your conscience speak” are the phrases used by ordinary men and women in our conversation. Words have their meaning. It becomes clear when we listen to our words and their usage? After I felt the pain  while clipping the stems, my conscience prompted me to ask: “Do these plants have a feeling and experience pain?” I will never know since my Consciousness (laws of nature) that enables me to think is merely a small subset of Brahman (Universal Consciousness) that governs the universe and all laws of nature!